Alas there are also plenty of people who have chosen to leave Jet2 who have significant flying experience. This is due to the poor terms and conditions, and the stubborn, backward and tightfisted nature of the establishment there. My experience was that it was not a pleasant place to work, in direct comparison to other airlines. Their inability to listen or look after the workforce being the main issue. And the endemic hatred of all professional bodies including BALPA, for no apparent reason! It does not cost anything to simply LISTEN!?
The command process is peculiar. I witnessed a few command simulator sessions as an 'ill-equipped' stand in FO on numerous occasions and felt utter compassion for those being assessed in the left seat. I was specifically briefed to not offer any opinion and not to work together with the command candidate. Madness in my humble opinion. CRM was poor at Jet2 anyway, and this type of assessment went no way to improve it. And truly embarrassing and awkward to watch one of your own colleagues struggle and get caught in a purposeful trap, when working together would have solved the problem in the way it is meant to be solved in a multicrew aircraft.
So CRM in the flightdeck and ability to work together as a true crew could not be assessed for the command candidate. They were overloaded and made to work as single crew for their check. A real military mentality that was completely out of place in the safe world of the MULTIcrew airline. It was a truely backward process that made me feel somewhat shocked to be a part of. Especially when I was able to compare it to a really sensible command process that I encountered at a previous airline.
I still maintain that First Officer training and task management between Captains and FOs is poor at Jet2. There is little or no encouragement for FOs to run a sector, be it in the sim or on the line which is a huge shame and impacts of development.
The training was adequate but below par compared to my previous company.
And before you move please contemplate the following:
No rostering or scheduling agreement
Roster instability. A secret policy to make changes to your roster without informing you until a few days before hand. They still will not tell pilots or cabin crew that they are going to be called out for an early standby duty the night before by publishing it on the crew roster system... Stating EASA regs and maintaining flexibility! Thank goodness none of the other UK airlines have adopted this pathetic policy, and we can be prepared for standby call out the night before.
No healthcare provision. It is NHS waiting lists for you while you are grounded
No staff travel
No crew food (might seem daft but what happens when you are called to fly to TFS towards the end of an airport standby duty and you need three more meals with you). No company credit card here my friends to nip into the terminal with as would be absolutely normal at other airlines).
No disruption pay, no flexible working pay, no thank you.
Poor pension (different company contribution percentage for FO/SFO and Capt for no apparent reason, other than FOs are treated badly!)
No professional body representation (no recognition of an organisation actively supporting your industry and safety across it!)
They do not even pay for your rating on your licence!
It is a poor package for a firm that made £100 million profit, even if you only fly 600hrs a year!
Anything else lacking that I have missed!?
It is truely one of the most unhappy environments I have ever worked in, where staff morale is low. Cabin crew are treated poorly too. Some are being changed from senior to junior constantly to save a few bobb, winter coats not provided with some crew told to buy their own, temp contracts galore, and they even loose around £100 of their wage (a monthly bonus!) for calling in sick. If the trolleys are down on stock, then wages are docked! Despicable practice that is not normal, but there is no one for them them to turn to collectively to view their issues. Cabin tidy payments!? What cabin tidy payments!
The firm I now work for is similar to one I worked for before Jet2! It is not perfect but in contrast provides a lovely place to work, real benefits, a flexible and understanding crewing department, professional body recognition, staff travel galore with free concessions, decent loss of licence that you do not have to add to, great profit share scheme, share save scheme, and the newbies were welcomed on day one with open arms!! Feedback is absolutely encouraged and cabin crew / pilot interaction is spot on! CRM is normal, FOs are encouraged to develop! Such a lovely change of scenery to Jet2 and a true 'professional' airline environment within which to work again and re-establish a career. Command might be a little further away but it is a joy to work here doing the same job as at Jet2 but feeling more appreciated, looked after and treated properly as a professional, and given the opportunity to develop skills!
I would encourage anyone approaching command at Jet2 to think about moving on and see what a proper airline has to offer! It could do wonders for your morale and for your career! Green grass!